Copper-PLLA-Based Biopolymer Wrinkle Structures for Enhanced Antibacterial Activity.

The increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has intensified the need for innovative antibacterial surfaces, particularly in biomedical applications. Traditional approaches often rely on chemical agents alone, which may lead to diminishing efficacy over time. To address this, we investigated the development of a novel antibacterial surface by combining the inherent antimicrobial properties of copper with an engineered surface topography on a biopolymer matrix.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy and Artificial Neural Networks for Detection of MXene Flakes' Surface Terminations.

The properties of MXene flakes, a new class of two-dimensional materials, are strictly determined by their surface termination. The most common termination groups are oxygen-containing (=O or -OH) and fluorine (-F), and their relative ratio is closely related to flake stability and catalytic activity. The surface termination can vary significantly among MXene flakes depending on the preparation route and is commonly determined after flake preparation by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

Surface activation of Hastalex by vacuum argon plasma for cytocompatibility enhancement.

Here, we present surface analysis and biocompatibility evaluation of novel composite material based on graphene oxide traded as Hastalex. First, the surface morphology and elemental analysis of the pristine material were examined by atomic force and scanning electron microscopies, and by energy-dispersive and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, respectively. The Hastalex surface was then modified by plasma (3 and 8 W with exposure times up to 240 s), the impact of which on the material surface wettability and morphology was further evaluated.

Nanostructures on Fluoropolymer Nanotextile Prepared Using a High-Energy Excimer Laser.

This study is focused on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) porous nanotextile and its modification with thin, silver sputtered nanolayers, combined with a subsequent modification with an excimer laser. The KrF excimer laser was set to single-shot pulse mode. Subsequently, the physico chemical properties, morphology, surface chemistry, and wettability were determined.

Creation and Plasmon-Assisted Photosensitization of Annealed Z-Schemes for Sunlight-Only Water Splitting.

Solely light-induced water splitting represents a promising avenue for a carbon-free energy future, based on reliable energy sources. Such processes can be performed using coupled semiconductor materials (the so-called direct Z-scheme design) that facilitate spatial separation of (photo)excited electrons and holes, prevent their recombination, and allow water-splitting half-reactions proceeding at each corresponding semiconductor side. In this work, we proposed and prepared a specific structure, based on WO/CdWO/CdS coupled semiconductors, created by annealing of a common WO/CdS direct Z-scheme.

Beyond the Platinum Era─Scalable Preparation and Electrochemical Activation of TaS Flakes.

Among 2D materials, transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) of group 5 metals recently have attracted substantial interest due to their superior electrocatalytic activity toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, a straightforward and efficient synthesis of the TMDCs which can be easily scaled up is missing. Herein, we report an innovative, simple, and scalable method for tantalum disulfide (TaS) synthesis, involving CS as a sulfurizing agent and TaO as a metal precursor.

Carbon Transformation Induced by High Energy Excimer Treatment.

The main aim of this study was to describe the treatment of carbon sheet with a high-energy excimer laser. The excimer modification changed the surface chemistry and morphology of carbon. The appearance of specific carbon forms and modifications have been detected due to exposure to laser beam fluencies up to 8 J cm.

KrF Laser and Plasma Exposure of PDMS-Carbon Composite and Its Antibacterial Properties.

A polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite with multi-walled carbon nanotubes was successfully prepared. Composite foils were treated with both plasma and excimer laser, and changes in their physicochemical properties were determined in detail. Mainly changes in surface chemistry, wettability, and morphology were determined.

Antibacterial Properties of Plasma-Activated Perfluorinated Substrates with Silver Nanoclusters Deposition.

This article is focused on the evaluation of surface properties of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) nanotextile and a tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoro(alkoxy vinyl ether) (PFA) film and their surface activation with argon plasma treatment followed with silver nanoclusters deposition. Samples were subjected to plasma modification for a different time exposure, silver deposition for different time periods, or their combination. As an alternative approach, the foils were coated with poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) and silver.

The Photodynamic Properties and the Genotoxicity of Heat-Treated Silicalite-1 Films.

We investigated the use of a supported silicalite-1 film () as a promising coating for metallic materials used in the fabrication of prostheses. The role of carbonaceous residua present on high-temperature calcined- in generating singlet oxygen for future use as a sterilization method has also been addressed, and the potential genotoxicity of these residua in osteoblast-like cells has been investigated. Calcination of as-synthesized induced the appearance of a rather complicated mixture of aliphatic and aromatic species on its outer surface.

Nanocrystalline diamond protects Zr cladding surface against oxygen and hydrogen uptake: Nuclear fuel durability enhancement.

In this work, we demonstrate and describe an effective method of protecting zirconium fuel cladding against oxygen and hydrogen uptake at both accident and working temperatures in water-cooled nuclear reactor environments. Zr alloy samples were coated with nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) layers of different thicknesses, grown in a microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition apparatus. In addition to showing that such an NCD layer prevents the Zr alloy from directly interacting with water, we show that carbon released from the NCD film enters the underlying Zr material and changes its properties, such that uptake of oxygen and hydrogen is significantly decreased.

Mechanisms and efficiency of the simultaneous removal of metals and cyanides by using ferrate(VI): crucial roles of nanocrystalline iron(III) oxyhydroxides and metal carbonates.

The reaction of potassium ferrate(VI), K(2)FeO(4), with weak-acid dissociable cyanides--namely, K(2)[Zn(CN)(4)], K(2)[Cd(CN)(4)], K(2)[Ni(CN)(4)], and K(3)[Cu(CN)(4)]--results in the formation of iron(III) oxyhydroxide nanoparticles that differ in size, crystal structure, and surface area. During cyanide oxidation and the simultaneous reduction of iron(VI), zinc(II), copper(II), and cadmium(II), metallic ions are almost completely removed from solution due to their coprecipitation with the iron(III) oxyhydroxides including 2-line ferrihydrite, 7-line ferrihydrite, and/or goethite. Based on the results of XRD, Mössbauer and IR spectroscopies, as well as TEM, X-ray photoelectron emission spectroscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller measurements, we suggest three scavenging mechanisms for the removal of metals including their incorporation into the ferrihydrite crystal structure, the formation of a separate phase, and their adsorption onto the precipitate surface.